According to R.E.G. Davies' excellent reference "Airlines of the United States Since 1914" (a must read for any airline enthusiast), the first airline in the United States was the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, which began service at 10am on 1 January 1914 with A.C. Pheil (former mayor) being piloted across the bay by Tony Jannus in a Benoist Type XIV flying boat.